COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Guidance

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) continues to recommend that clinicians use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested. Health care providers should not turn patients away for COVID-19 testing who have upper or lower respiratory illness. Collection kits are available for order from the NDDoH at http://www.ndhealth.gov/microlab/Lab/.

Clinicians should consider testing any patient with one (1) of the following signs/symptoms with new or worsening onset:

cough

shortness of breath

difficulty breathing

OR

Two (2) of the following signs/symptoms with new or worsening onset:

fever (measured or subjective)

runny nose

sore throat

chills

myalgia

fatigue

headache

loss of taste and/or smell

Providers should use their discretion to test patients for COVID-19.
Patients may be asymptomatic and still test positive for COVID-19.
Close contacts to COVID-19 cases that have symptoms should be tested for COVID-19.

For questions related to COVID-19, health care providers can call the NDDoH Division of Disease Control at COVID-19 hotline at 888-391-3430 Sunday through Saturday, 24/7.